Friday, August 7, 2015

Support marriage equality

Following the hugely successful
referendum vote in May in support of marriage equality in the south the denial
of this basic human right for citizens in the six counties has now taken on an
added significance.

Last week I spoke at a packed
meeting in the Ulster Hall. It was a panel discussion looking back at the
challenges faced by the LGBT community in Belfast over the last 25 years. It
was also an opportunity for the hundreds of LGBT activists to ask questions of
the panel of political representatives about their support for LGBT rights. I
was there for Sinn Féin and there were representatives also from the SDLP, the
Alliance Party and the Ulster Union Party. The DUP did not send a
representative. It was an excellent discussion with spirited contributions from
the floor.

The growing public awareness of
and support for the LGBT community was equally evident in Belfast on Saturday
when tens of thousands of citizens took part in the colourful 25th
annual Gay Pride parade. The huge turnout included Belfast Mayor, Arder Carson,
who along with other councillors carried a banner calling for marriage
equality. The Belfast Gay Pride parade has come a long way from its small
beginnings in 1990 when only a couple of hundred participated.

Sinn Féin has a long and proud
track record in defence of equal rights for gay and lesbian citizens. As Irish
republicans our starting point on all issues of human and civil rights, and equality
is the 1916 Proclamation. It enshrines the republican belief in civil and
religious rights and our commitment to cherishing all the children of the
nation – whatever their sexual orientation or gender or colour or race or age –
equally. There can be no exceptions. Nothing less can be tolerated in a modern,
progressive and inclusive society.

The issue of LGBT rights was debated
by republican prisoners writing in their own magazine - An Glór Gafa/The
Captive Voice, in 1991. Before that and following the brutal murder of Declan
Flynn in a homophobic attack in Fairview Park in in Dublin in 1984, local Sinn
Féin members marched with others to the park in an act of solidarity. The issue
was generally shunned by the political establishment at that time.

At our Ard Fheis in 1986 Sinn Féin
adopted a policy to end the criminalisation of homosexual acts and for gay
rights. Sinn then significant strides have been made in Ireland, north and
south, in tackling political, societal and legal obstacles and discrimination
facing LGBT citizens.

But significant challenges remain.
Consequently Sinn Féin is committed to working in solidarity with the LGBT
community to build public and political support north and south. The
party has had a formal policy on promoting LGBT equality for over three
decades, and an official presence at LGBT Pride events for many years. We are also
committed to ensuring that the party itself is a welcome place for LGBT
republicans.

To this end, we have appointed an
LGBT officer to work together with other interested activists to further
develop party policy, raise internal awareness of and publicly campaign on
issues affecting the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and
their families.

As part of our political activism
republicans are advocating a number of key measures that we believe can promote
LGBT equality. These include:

Eliminating legalised homophobic
and transphobic discrimination against LGBT education and healthcare workers in
the 26 Counties, by amending Section 37 of the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2011.

Amending the 1937 Constitution to
include expressed equality protections for LGBT citizens and equal treatment
for all family forms.

Introducing equality protections
for LGBT citizens and prohibitions on homophobic and transphobic discrimination
in a Bill of Rights for the north.

Legislating north and south for
equal treatment of prospective LGBT parents in reproductive and adoptive
services, and in related social and other public services.

Ensuring the law treats all
children equally regardless of family status or the sexual orientation or
gender identity of their parents.

Introducing into criminal law a
provision that makes committing an offence with a homophobic or transphobic
motivation or aim an aggravating circumstance allowing for a more severe
penalty and updating the incitement to hatred laws to address the use of the
internet and social media to promote homophobic and transphobic messages.

These are just some of the
measures we believe are necessary to ensure equality for LGBT citizens. But crucially,
and at this defining point in our history, we support the right to marriage
equality across the island of Ireland.

Why can’t two people who love each
other be recognised and valued and accepted in the same way as all other
citizens?

Why should our family members, our
friends and work colleagues, our neighbours who are gay and lesbian or
transgender be denied the same right to marriage that the rest of us have?

There can be no fudging or dodging
this important societal issue. It is a fundamental human right and it must be
pursued. To that end Sinn Féin has brought this issue before the Assembly four
times where it has been blocked by a DUP petition of concern. We are determined
to secure its passage and intend bringing it forward again.

If you really believe in equality
and in treating others as you would expect or want to be treated yourself than
you should support the right of LGBT citizens to marriage equality.

The process of transforming and
modernising society on the island of Ireland was given a huge boost with the
success of the May referendum. Citizens in the north now have the opportunity
to take all of that one step further.

So, write to your elected
representatives. Make your voice heard on this issue. Support the campaign for
marriage equality in the north and help ensure that we create a better more
compassionate and equal society now and for our children.